Rashid,
Bus Driver

When are you happiest?

When I’m with my family, and also when I’m helping someone and it does give them benefits and they’re happy. When they’re happy, I see them happy, and I feel happy as well.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about a few things in life which I want to achieve. I like adventures, I like to see places, also I am passionate about doing something for our ummah [people], or our people, that have desperate needs and help. As well as not just our people but humanity at large. And probably some sort of campaigns or fundraising or with the help of friends, families, and people that I know, to achieve that.

Also a few things – to do something for my family and teach them good things about life, instead of negative things. There’s lots of negative things going on so I am trying to teach them that more towards positive, especially children, because we don’t want our children to grow up with negative thoughts about others. We want them to be positive and grow successfully. And basically educate, education, I think education is an important thing in life and without education we cannot make people understand about us. So education is another thing I am passionate about. Myself, learn myself and educate others too.

What is something significant you have achieved?

I’m proud of achieving a few things in life. Especially helping my mother when she was sick. She needed surgery so I managed to help with that although she is in Pakistan. So financially yes. And also globally calling her up. And also getting things done for the sake of myself, my family, in any way possible, also for the people if possible and just for the sake of Allah, god, because that’s what he wants us to do and that’s what pleases him. And I am doing my best to please him.

What do you hope to achieve in 2016?

Same as everyone else. I want to go to pilgrimage, to Mecca, and also to achieve that I can do something for the desperate people in the world, or in my own country.

Who is your role model?

My role models were my parents. There are a few personalities that are my role models, first of them is prophet Muhammed peace be upon him, he is one of the best role models. Especially after reading his biography. He is basically our hero, everything. Apart from that his companions that were with him, they are the best role models as well.

What is the greatest risk you’ve taken?

Come to Australia! To leave my parents and family, I suppose the greatest risk I have taken, and just relying on god, what’s ahead only god knows and I was hoping for the best. And of course to do my best here, wherever I am, that’s the greatest risk I’ve took so far.

What’s something that has changed your life?

Probably my marriage changed my life a lot. Made me feel a more responsible person in life, regardless of anything else. Made me think about certain things I never thought of. And I would encourage people to get married as well, because that’s the main thing, especially having children. That’s where you feel more responsible, feel like you have some aim, purpose in life. As well as your basic tenants, teachings of your religion or your way of life. And basically educate yourself and others as well.

What’s your best advice to give to other people?

My best advice with what’s going on these days in the world, especially the Southern part of the world where a lot of people think Muslims are terrorists. My best advice is to not to judge the religion by a minor group that are causing troubles in the world. Look into Islam, read about it, you’ll understand how beautiful it is.

What role do your beliefs play in your life?

First of all I do believe in my faith, and god, and prophet Muhammed, and all the people in my life that guided me this far. My parents, even my siblings, my uncles, aunts, cousins, they’re all friends. From what I have learned from those beliefs I adopt them in my life and they do have positive effects on myself and my family and others, surroundings, neighbours, friends and families, as well as relatives. And it made me achieve certain things in life, helped me in my values, and basically that’s it.

Is there anything else you would like to say?

As I said before, instead of judging the religion by some minor groups that are causing troubles, there are about two billion Muslims, maybe more in the world, so because of a few minor people you can’t say the whole two billion Muslims are terrorists or bad people. I would advise people to look at Islam, read about it, so that you understand what it’s all about. There are good and bad people everywhere, mostly they are good, a few might be bad. That’s what I believe in every case. Education is important, not only educating yourself, educating your kids so that they grow up successful and thinking positive instead of negative. You don’t want your kids to be aggressive and negative all the time when they grow up.

Things happen, they’ve happened in the past as well, it’s happened the same, there’s no difference. From past until now we all survived, we’ll survive again. Also try to mingle with Muslims, get to know them, because without getting to know them you may assume something that is not right or true. The rest of your life you will be thinking like that. We’re all here to maintain the peace in society, so we do our best to educate ourselves, the best way is to get to know them.